GardenDesignOnline

Happenings January 2014

Jan 5-6 Western/National Green Center Trade Show, Kansas City, KS
Overland Park Convention Center. Exhibits, lectures, workshops, more. 888-233-1876
Jan 8, Dynamic Duo, Seattle, WA
6:45PM, Lecture by Authors of Fine Foliage, NW Hort Society 206-780-8172
Jan 8-10, MANTS, Baltimore, MD
Mid-Atlantic Nurserymen's Trade Show, Baltimore Convention Center 800-431-0066
Jan 9-10, "Assessing Ecological Landscape Design," New London, CT
9AM-5PM, 25th Conference, New Directions in the American Landscape, Connecticut College, 215-247-5777
Jan 10-12, Indiana Home & Garden Show, Indianapolis, IN
Indianapoolis Convention Center, 800-374-6463
Jan 10-12, Southbay Home & Garden Show, Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara Convention Center, 408-236-2000

Jan 12, 18th annual P.L.A.N.T Seminar, Columbus, OH
8:15AM-4PM, "Perennially Inspired," Perennial Plant Assn, 614-771-8431
Jan 16, Managing Large-Scale Landscapes Sustainably, Wellesley, MA
8:30AM-5PM, Workshop, Ecological Landscaping Assn, 617-436-5838
Jan 16-17, "Assessing Ecological Landscape Design," Ambler, PA
9AM-5PM, 25th Conference, New Directions in the American Landscape, Temple University, 215-247-5777
Jan 17-19, Oklahoma City Home & Garden Show, Oklahoma City, OK
OK State Fair Park, 405-948-6704
Jan 18-Feb 23, Tropical Paradise, Bronx NY
Exhibition, NY Botanical Garden, 718-817-8700

Jan 21, Landscape Design & LEED Certification, Bronx, NY
1-3PM, Workshop, NY Botanical Garden, 718-817-8700
Jan 22, Modern Day Plant Conservation, Washington DC
Noon, Lecture, US Botanic Garden, 202-225-8333
Jan 23, Landscaping Ideas That Work, Wellesley, MA
5:30 PM, Lecture, Julie Moir Messervy, MA Hort Society, 617-933-4900
Jan 23, Plant Exploration & Conservation, Washington DC
Noon, Lecture, US Botanic Garen, 202-225-8333
Jan 24-26 Southern Gardening Symposium, Pine Mountain, GA
28th Annual Symposium, Callaway Gardens, 706-663-5153
Jan 25, Ferns Make a Comeback, Washington DC
10:30AM, Lecture, US Botanic Garden, 202-225-8333
Jan 25-26, VA Home & Garden Show, Doswell, VA
Meadow Event Park, 804-425-6556

Jan 28, 17th Plant-O-Rama, Brooklyn, NY
Trade Show & Symposium, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Hort Society of NY 212-757-0915
Jan 31-Feb 2 Virginia Flower & Garden Expo, Virginia Beach, VA
VA Beach Convention Center, 757-284-6139

 LOOKAHEAD:

Feb 7, Today's Horticulture Symposium, Kennett Square, PA
8AM-4PM, Longwood Gardens, 610-388-1000
Feb 13, Landscape Lecture, Boston, MA
7PM Landscape architect Laurie Olin, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 617-278-5156
Feb 20, 14th Land Ethics Symposium, Langhorne, PA
8AM-4PM, Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve, 215-862-2924
March 1-9, Philadelphia Flower Show, Philadelphia, PA
"Articulture," PA Convention Center, 215-988-8899
March 22, NW Horticultural Society Annual Symposium, Seattle, WA
"Small Space - Big Impact" 206-780-8172
May 20-24, Chelsea Flower Show, London, UK

Books: Christmas IV

Here are my favorites from this year, all worth having on your bookshelf:

  If you're getting a gardener/designer just one book, get them this one:  Fine Foliage: Elegant Plant Combinations for Garden and Container  (St. Lynn's Press, 2013) by Karen Chapman and Christina Salwitz, Seattle-based designers. It's the best I've encountered on plant combos based on texture and color.  It belongs in everyone's library.  My full review is here.

  For a historic view of British garden & design style, you should definitely order Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show (Frances Lincoln Ltd, 2013) by Brent Elliott, the RHS's archivist & historian.  You'll learn something new every time you pick it up.  Full review here.

Something a little different, but it's a reference you shouldn't be without: The Professional Designer's Guide to Garden Furnishings (Timber Press, 2013) by Vanessa Gardner Nagel, APLD.  It's all here: fences, containers, fabrics, stone, synthetic materials, and much, much more.  Full review is here.

And for a close look at some classic American garden style, think about Private Gardens of the Hudson Valley (Monacelli Press, 2013) by Jane Garmey.  Twenty-six gardens are profiled in this book, from classic English-style gardens to the very contemporary.  Beautiful photos and a lovely survey of current styles in the Northeast. Review is here.

 

Christmas Gifts IV - 2013: Tools

After I bought this soil knife from AM Leonard, I gave away all my other weeders. This is the only tool you'll ever need to dig out weeds, and it works better than anything else I've ever tried.  (And believe me, I've tried them all).  It works great as well for planting bulbs (those inch markings on the blade are a real plus) and small-size perennials or groundcovers.   And of course the orange handle helps you find it when you leave it in places that you shouldn't.

I also like these knit and rubberized gloves from AM Leonard.  I buy them by the dozen (they're cheaper that way) ... and when one wears through, you've got plenty more on hand.  Washable as well.  And again, you can see where you put them among all the greenery.

A winter wrap for your plants works wonders when it really gets cold and the wind comes up.  This one, from Gardener's Edge is big enough to cover a hedge (maybe boxwood) that can take a hit from the snow.  And if you have a plant that's a little "iffy" in your zone, the wrap will likely get it through the winter.  They've worked fine for me.

Also from Gardener's Edge, these cedar planters are perfect for decks and small patios.  They come in different sizes and heights, and make an herb garden possible when there's no space or sun for one out in the garden areas.  Great for apartments and urban townhouse gardens.

 

Books: Christmas III - Gardening

Another in this great series from Timber Press, with great photos -- you'll find out what's ailing your cantaloupes, raspberries, kiwis, lemons and just about every other kind of fruit that enters your mind. And you'll find out how to solve the problem. This latest book What's Wrong With My Fruit Garden?: 100% Organic Solutions for Berries, Trees, Nuts, Vines, and Tropicals (Timber Press, 2013) by Kavid Deardorff and Kathryn Wadsworth is the logical companion to What's Wrong With My Vegetable Garden?: 100% Organic Solutions for All Your Vegetables, from Artichokes to Zucchini  and What's Wrong With My Plant? (And How Do I Fix It?): A Visual Guide to Easy Diagnosis and Organic Remedies.

All three will tell you everything you need to know.

Just one in this series of fabulous gardening guides from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, available from their online gift shop.  I have most of these gardening guides, courtesy of my BBG membership -- and they are just about the best gardening guides out there.

From perennials to tree care to cacti, orchids, vegetable gardening and Japanese garden design -- you'll find exactly what you're looking for, and great gifts for gardening friends.

Another series on gardening from Schiffer Publishing, the latest is Coastal Garden Plants: Maine to Maryland by Roy Heizer. This book includes descriptions of trees, annuals, perennials, bulbs and shrubs that do particularly well along the east coast.  It's not the most comprehensive guide you'll find, but it would be a good fit for beginning gardeners who don't know all that much about plants.

Schiffer publishes many titles in the gardening/landscape design category, so do check out their website.

And for the person you know who's into bulbs, give them the book from the British experts: Growing Garden Bulbs (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - Kew Growing) by Richard Wilford (and distributed in the US by the University of Chicago Press). This is a great little guide to have, divided into bulbs that flower in particular seasons. Simple explanations of the different kinds of daffodils, tulips, irises, etc -- and tips on how to plant and care for almost any type of bulb.  Stuff this in somone's stocking!

 

 

 

Christmas Gifts III - 2013

From The Huntington Shop in San Marino, CA:

A cheerful tea-brewing system decorated with cherry blossoms.  It's a double-walled tumbler with a stainless steel tea influser that takes loose tea - and with a ceramic lid.  The double wall helps keep the tea hot.

Very nice hand-made tray, 14" in diameter, a perfect gift to take to a hostess.  There's an olive grove motif, and also other items available that match this design.

 

Brooklyn Botanic Garden Shop:

A collapsible vase (hard to figure out exactly how it would work) -- that can be folded flat and stored away when not in use.  It's made from layers of polymers that give it a strong, flexible form that's glossy and transparent -- and it will not chip, break, or fade.  Comes in various sizes and colors.  A truly unusual gift.

From the  Winterthur museum & gardens:

For the ecologically minded, planters constructed of reclaimed wood. They also have quite a distinctive look to them, and would be the perfect thing on the right deck or patio. Comes in two sizes, 12 and 14 inch diameters.

 

Books: Christmas II

Next time you're planning a trip to Venice, you'll definitely want to plan some extra days in Venice and the surrounding countryside to visit a series of spectacular Italian gardens that you've probably never heard of in the past.

Author Jennie Condie has a degree in Italian and History of Art, and she's lived in Venice since 2002.  Now, she's written a book The Gardens of Venice and the Veneto (Frances Lincoln Ltd, 2013) that explores magnificent gardens in Venice and others within a day's drive. 

Dominated by water and architecture, you might not think that Venice has many gardens, but as Condie says in the introduction to the book, "Only at first glance does Venice appear the least green of cities.  In fact gardens abound and are treasured, from the dankest private courtyard with its aspidistras and ferns ... to the sprawling monastery gardens with their ancient vineyards, orchards and vegetable plots."  Throughout the book, you'll become familiar with a tiny, Japanese-inspired garden of quiet simplicity; a wild garden on a Venetian island; and a series of grand, classical Italian-style gardens at villas in Verona, Padua, Treviso, Vicenza, Rovigo and Belluno.  Condie's expertise as a historian comes through on every page.  She takes you through the history of the region, as well as the history of each garden from hundreds of years ago to the present day.

Photos by Alex Ramsay illustrate each garden beautifully.  A lovely present for anyone who loves Italy or classic European gardens.  And one other note:  all of these gardens are open to visitors, but for some, you'll need advance permission.  Condie includes a list at the back of the book that will help you plan a trip.

Christmas Gifts II - 2013

From Bent Into Shape:

click to enlarge photos

Flower Luminary
A hand-crafted luminary that also comes in a sea grass design -- perfect for the patio or deck on cool evenings. They run on denatured alcohol (burning time up to four hours) a clean-burning fuel with no smoke.
Also check out the site's many different kinds of firepits.

 

I also liked these distinctive planters made from Cor-Ten steel. They come in many sizes, from 20 to 45 inches tall, and would be a great addition on patios, decks, front entry stoops, etc.  Constructed from re-cycled steel, so they are environmentally friendly as well.  The planters also come in different shapes.

The following two photos are terracotta items from Trellis & Trugs

The tall planter is 41 inches high, 17.5 in diameter, and the shorter one is 27.5 high, same diameter.

These are just a small sample of the many custom-designed items available from the company, located in Highland Park, IL. Check it out.

Christmas Gifts I - 2013

click to enlarge images

One of my favorite shops is the one at the New York Botanical Garden

Filix Botanica coffee mugs are patterned after fern illustrations in the garden's LuEsther T. Mertz Library.   Also available in the same pattern are plates, platters, all you need in dinnerware.

Tree Topiary.  Obviously, this could be covered with evergreen cuttings to make a great table piece.  It's 18 inches tall and eight inches wide, large enough for ornamentation as well as greens.  I even like it plain, for a mod kind of tree.

And if you're in the mood for stocking stuffers, try these rose cleaners ... they purportedly remove the thorns without ripping up the stems -- or your fingers. And the bright colors might help prevent loss. 

And of course if you live in the NYC area, a gift membership to the garden would be a truly great gift for anyone who's into design or gardening.

 

 

Books: Christmas I - Oudolf

Piet Oudolf and Noel Kingsbury's latest book, Planting: A New Perspective (Timber Press, 2013) will certainly be at the top of many a gardener's Christmas list this year.

In this country, Oudolf is most well known for his naturalistic plantings at the Lurie Garden in Chicago and the High Line in New York City.  He's also just planted a bulb border at the New York Botanic Garden -- so that will be a surprise come spring.

Oudolf teamed up again with author and horticulturist Noel Kingsbury to explain how to select the right plants for his meadow-like designs.  It looks easy, but in reality it's quite complex. To make it look good, you need to know how the plants will perform in certain kinds of soil; structural characteristics and flowering times; and which plants combine well with others.

Throughout the book, there are useful lists of plants:  which plants have repeat blooms (and when); plants for scattering and layering; calculating how many plants you'll need for a given area; and how to successfully combine plants.  The book also contains a number of planting plans that give you a good idea of how Oudolf puts his designs together.

Oudolf's style is not the same as Oehme-van Sweden's, who popularized, in this country, designs of naturalistic plantings with lots of ornamental grasses and native perennials.  Oehme's, I think, is characterized by more use of broad sweeps, perhaps a bit more formal, while Oudolf tends to mix things up a little more.  But they are definitely different.  In fact, I have a client right now who wants an Oehme van Sweden type garden -- and definitely not the Piet Oudolf look.

Some people think meadow plantings look too messy, but others love them, especially when they are in full summer flower.  Even if you don't like Oudolf's "look," there's plenty of useful information in this book -- plant height and spread, plant architecture and spacing, whether the plant seeds around or not.  As a pure plant reference book, most designers would definitely want a copy.

And, just out in paperback is Oudolf's earlier book, written with Henk Gerritsen,  Dream Plants for the Natural Garden (Frances Lincoln Ltd, 2013).  It contains profiles of some 1200 individual plants that are suitable for a "natural" garden.  It's divided into sections listing perennials, grasses, ferns, bulbs, shrubs -- and so on -- but also contains sections on self-seeding plants, annuals, invasive plants, and those that are quite demanding.

Lovely photos, as well, to help with identification. Another wonderful reference book and a great companion book for Planting.